Arthur Frederick Hailey was born in England on 5 April 1920. He began his writing career while serving as an RAF pilot during the Second World War. After the war, Hailey emigrated to Canada, becoming both a Canadian and British citizen. He also spent some time living in the United States.

For twenty-six years, Arthur Hailey and his wife, Sheila, made their home in the Bahamas. Hailey's novels have been published in thirty-nine languages, with an estimated 170 million copies sold worldwide. Many of his books have been adapted into films or television series.

Hailey's writing often featured plot-driven storylines set against the backdrops of various industries, including bestsellers such as Hotel (1965), Airport (1968), Wheels (1971), The Moneychangers (1975), and Overload (1979).